Election 2016: Colleges Counseling Grieving Students

Young men feel disengaged politically, but women don’t feel the same.Source:News Limited

AUSTRALIANS don’t feel as safe in their neighbourhoods as before and there are increasing reports of discrimination, a new survey has found.

The Scanlon Foundation’s 2016 Mapping Social Cohesion survey released today highlights some worrying statistics about how Australians feel about politicians, the neighbourhoods they live in and rising discrimination.

“There are emerging signs of increased pessimism, relatively high levels of negativity towards Muslims and an increase in the proportion of people experiencing discrimination on the basis of skin colour, ethnicity or religion,” the report states.

But it’s not all bad news and in some cases the responses are better than expected.

MULTICULTURALISM SUPPORTED, BUT DISCRIMINATION ON THE RISE

The Scanlon national survey of about 1500 people was taken in July and August, in the weeks after the federal election.

It found support for multiculturalism remained high with 83 per cent agreeing it had been good for Australia.

Just 34 per cent considered the immigration intake was “too high”, the lowest recorded in the Scanlon surveys.

While negativity towards Muslims continued, it hasn’t changed significantly in the past six years, with 25 per cent of those surveyed continuing to feel negative towards them. This is compared to less than 5 per cent who felt negative towards Christians, or against Buddhists.

But there was an increase in those who held strong negative views towards Muslims, which increased from 11 per cent to 14 per cent.

“There’s been an increase in negativity ... but it’s not a major change,” report author Professor Andrew Markus of Monash University told news.com.au.

“There’s been a lot of media discussion about there being a major change, but our survey is not showing that.”

Unfortunately there does seem to be an increase in people acting on this negativity.

The proportion of people who experienced discrimination based on their skin colour, ethnicity or religion increased from 15 per cent in 2015, to 20 per cent in 2016.

A protest held by anti-Muslim group Reclaim Australia in Melbourne in April. Picture: David CroslingSource:News Corp Australia

This is the highest level recorded in the Scanlon surveys, which have captured Australian people’s attitudes since 2007.

There was also an increase in those who “strongly disagree” with a diverse immigration intake — from 9 per cent in 2015, to 11 per cent in 2016.

A WARNING TO POLITICIANS

Another significant issue identified in the survey was concern about the failure of the political system.

In the past two years, there has been a significant shift in those who believe Australia’s system of government needed “major change”, rising from 23 per cent in 2014, to 31 per cent in 2016.

“People feel the political system is not working as well as it should be,” Prof Markus said.

This feeling was especially high among those who were struggling to pay their bills, aged between 35 and 54 years old, who did not finish high school or had a trade or apprenticeship, and who intended to vote Labor, a minor party or independent.

Prof Markus said trust in politicians had collapsed during the Rudd Government years and had not recovered since.

In 2016 only 29 per cent of those surveyed had a high level of trust in the government, which is 19 per cent lower than in 2009.

“Trust in the system, trust in politics — there are some real issues there,” he said.

Prof Markus said one factor that could be influencing this, was the disconnect between politicians and the public on key issues.

For example, of those surveyed, 83 per cent supported the medical use of marijuana, 80 per cent supported medically approved euthanasia and 67 per cent supported marriage equality.

About 70 per cent believed Australia should reduce its reliance on coal for electricity generation.

“Politicians have not significantly delivered on these issues,” Prof Markus said.

“There is quite a big gap between what the public seems willing to support, and what the politicians seem willing or able to enact.”

Those surveyed placed the quality of government and of politicians as the second most important problem facing Australia, after the economy. They have done this in five of the six surveys since 2011.

A higher proportion of people also expect life to be worse in three or four years, rising from 15 per cent in 2015, to 18 per cent in 2016.

YOUNGER GENERATION DON’T CARE

The report said 34 per cent of those surveyed had little or no interest in the federal election.

This lack of interest was especially high among young men aged between 18 and 24 years old, where 23 per cent said they had no interest in the election.

But there was also a significant gender divide, as just 7 per cent of women in the same age group felt the same.

Young men in particular had little interest in the federal election.Source:News Limited

LOCALS DON’T FEEL SAFE

When asked whether their local area was a place where people from different national or ethnic groups got on well together, just 74 per cent agreed, down from 78 per cent in 2015.

Those who thought their neighbours were willing to help each other fell from 85 per cent to 81 per cent.

Worryingly, concern about becoming a victim of crime in their local area, skyrocketed from 26 per cent to 36 per cent.

LITTLE SYMPATHY FOR BOAT PEOPLE

Australia’s refugee program continues to enjoy support, with 80 per cent of those surveyed supporting it. Only 34 per cent believed Australia’s immigration intake was “too high”, the lowest recorded in the Scanlon surveys.

More than half of those surveyed also supported the government’s plan to bring refugees to Australia from Syria, with 58 per cent agreeing with it, and 34 per cent opposing it.

But people drew the line at boat arrivals, with 42 per cent of people expressing “strong disapproval” of those who tried to reach Australia by boat, and a further 20 per cent disapproving.

Less than 25 per cent of those surveyed believed boat arrivals should be eligible for permanent settlement in Australia.

Of the immigrants who did settle here, there seems to be an expectation of assimilation, but also respect towards cultural differences.

About 60 per cent surveyed believed migrants should change their behaviour to be more like Australians, while 66 per cent of those surveyed thought they should do more to learn about the customs and heritage of other ethnic and cultural groups.